Fracture apparatus



(No Model.) v `D.Bolurlvm. FRAGTURE APPARA'IUSL No. 594.865. PatentedDeo. 7j, 1897.

UNITED STATES DAvID EORTNEY,

PATENT OFFICE.-

or oTHo, IowA.

FRACTU RE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent N 0. 594,865, datedDecember 7, 1897.

Application tiled May 29, 1897. Serial No. 638,829. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID FORTNEY, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and av and illustrated by the accompanying drawing. y

In the construction of the device as shown the numeral 11 designates ahorizontal footpiece integral with an ankle-piece 12. The upper endthereof is broadened and flattened and is inserted between the-arms orfaces of a bifurcated lower end portion of a shankpiece 111 and pivotedthereto by means of a pin 15. The upper end portion of the ankle-l piece14 is extended to a plane coincident with the knee-joint of the wearerand is broadened, flattened, and inserted between thefaces of arms of abifurcated lower end portion of the thigh-piece 16 and pivoted theretoby means of a pin 17. The axes of the pins 15 and 17 are parallel andare respectively in alinement with the axes of the knee and ankle of thewearer when in use. The upper end portion of the thigh-piece 16 is roundand has a screwthreaded extension lgand a ratchet-face on its top. Ajointed curved brace has an enlargement 18f at one end, provided withacentral bore or eye to admit the extension 18%, and a ratchet-face onits under side. A nut 19 is placed on top of the extension 163g.

To facilitate the adjustment of the device on a person at intervals oftime, as required, to straighten crooked feet or crooked legs, the nuton the vertical extension at the top i of the thigh-piece 16 can bereadily relaxed and the plate or brace 18 changed in position, asrequired, to increase or diminish pressure. The brace 18, provided witha joint, allows up-and-down iiexion thereof to accommodate itself tomotions of the body of the wearer. By means of the nut on thescrew-threaded end of the extension 16e the ratchet-faces of the braceand the thigh-piece are readily pressed together and rigidly locked. Itis -therefore obvious that the thigh-piece 16 and the plate 18 may bereadily adjusted relative to each other and the body and limb of aperson, as required, to draw a foot or limb inward or outward bytorsional pressure of the device and that such pressure can be readilyregulated, as required, to gradually effect the purpose for which thedevice is designed.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a device for supporting and straighteningthe feet and legs of a person, a plate adapted in form to engage theperson above the thigh and provided with an eye at one end and aratchet-face at the bottom of the eye, in combination with the top of ajointed brace adapted to extend upward over the thigh and provided withan extension to enter said eye and a ratchet-face to engage theratchet-face at the bottom of the eye, and a nut fitted to thescrew-threaded top end of the said extension, as and for the purposesstated.

2. A devicefor supporting and straightening feet and legs comprising aplate having an eye at one end and a ratchet-face at the bottom of theeye, a thigh-piece having an extension at its top to enter said eye anda ratchet-face to'engage the ratchet-face of the eye, a nut fitted tothe screw-threaded end of said extension, a shank-piece pivoted at itsupper end to said thigh-piece, an ankle-piece pivoted at its -upper endto the lower end of the shank-piece and provided with a rightangledprojection at its lower end and means for attaching the device to thebody and leg of a person, as and for the purposes stated.

DAVID FORTN EY.

